Propeller



Sept. 11, 1934. J, R BALLARD AL 1,973,598

PROPELLER Filed Dec. 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l c72zmes R.- BaZZq1'd, flea/s y .P Sauczer;

INVENTORS A TTORNE Y.

1 Se t. 11, 1934. J. R. BALLARD ET AL i#973,598

PROPELLER Filed Dec. 1. 1951 ZSheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PROPELLER James Riley Ballard and Dewey Pepetta Saucier,

Shreveport, La.

Application December 1, 1931, Serial No. 578,392

1 Claim.

The present invention has for its object, the provision of a propeller primarily intended for use on aeroplanes, although susceptible for use in other connections, and constructed to permit the blade thereof to be easily and quickly adjusted by the pilot to vary the propulsion power, without interfering with the speed of the motor, and to obtain a braking action when desired, to facilitate landing in a small area. In carrying out the invention, the blades of the propeller are mounted for rotation on their hub, so that the angle of the blades can be changedfifor the purposes above-mentio'ned, and controlled by a slidably mounted collar on the shaft of the propeller,

and which collar is connected with the blades in a novel manner.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following detail description is read in connection with the ac- 2 companying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this application like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the propeller and its control means, a portion of an aeroplane being illustrated in this view.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line M of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure l.

For the purpose of illustration, we have shown the propeller used in connection with an aeroplane, althoughit is desired to have it under- 4 stood that a general application of the invention is contemplated by the claims.

In the drawings, 10 represents the hub of the propeller, which hub is provided with a centrally located bore, closed at one end by a substantially nose-shaped cap 11 and at its opposite end by the enlarged portion 12 of the power shaft 13 of the propeller. The enlarged portion 12 is bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the hub 10, while the shaft 13 projects from the rear end of the aeroplane 14. The propeller blades are indicated each cylindrical extremity includes a squared portion 17 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. These squared portions 17 are however located in the central bore of the hub, so that the blades 15 are mounted for rotation'within the hub 10. By virtue of this fact, the blades 15 can 'be partially rotated in either direction, to change the angle of the blades with relation to the hub, and thus vary the propulsion power of the propeller, without interfering with the speed of the motor. In other words, the blades 15 can be arranged in a neutral position, or their positions can be reversed any desired degree,and they may also be arranged to obtain a braking action to provide for a good landing in a comparatively small area.

For the purpose of controlling the blades 15 in 7 their adjustment, we preferably employ a collar 18 which is splined or keyed to the shaft 13, for sliding adjustment thereon, it of course being understood that the collar 18 is also mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith. The keys for securing the collar to the shaft are indicated at 19. The collar 18 adjacent one end is reduced as at 20 to form one part of a ball race, the other part being formed by a flange 21 forming part of the nut 22 which is threaded on the collar 18 as clearly illustrated in Figure 2. A stationary ring 23 surrounds the collar 18, and interposed between the ring and the collar are spaced series of ball bearings 24. Also threaded on the collar 18 is a lock nut 25 which bears against the nut 22 to prevent retrograde movement of the latter.

The collar 18 is connected with the reduced extremities 16 of the propeller blades 15, so that incident to the sliding movement of the collar 18, the blades 15 are simultaneously adjusted to change or vary their angle with relation to the hub for the purposes above-mentioned. For this purpose, each squared portion 17 of each reduced extremity 16 is provided with a crank arm 26, and pivotally connected with each crank arm is the adjacent end of a link 27. The opposite end of each link 2'7 is pivotally connected with apertured lugs or ears 28 projecting from the adjacent end of the collar 18.

The collar 18 is controlled in its movements by the pilot of the machine, and by means of a manually operated lever 29, pivoted at a point in I its length as at 30 on a toothed quadrant 31. The lever 29 is provided with a sliding pawl 32 to engage the teeth of the quadrant and thus hold the lever fixed in a given position. The lower end of the lever is connected to the adjacent end of an operating rod 33, the opposite end of which is connected with the lever extension 34 of a 1 means of the crank arm 26 and links 27 the blades are simultaneously adjusted to any desired or given position, for the purpose intended. The invention is simple in construction, and it is manlfest that the adjustment of-the blades can be controlled by the pilot of the machine and without interfering in any way with the speed of the motor thereof.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, we desire to have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to what is herein illustrated or described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What we claim as new is:

A propeller comprising adrive shaft having an enlarged disk-like end portion provided with slots at diametrically opposite points, a hub having a centrally located bore, means detachably securing the hub to the enlarged end portion of the drive shaft with the latter closing the bore of the hub at one end, a cap detachably secured on the hub and closing the opposite end of said bore, rotatable blades radiating from the hub and including cylindrical reduced inner extremities removably journaled in said hub, said cylindrical extremities having reduced polygonal inner terminals, a crank arm removably secured on the reduced polygonal terminal of each reduced blade extremity and arranged within the bore of the hub, and means connected with the crankarms to actuate the latter and efiect adjustment of the blades, said last-named means including a ring, a collar slidably keyed on said drive shaft and revoluble within said ring, a manually operable yoke connected to said ring for sliding said collar, and links extending through the slots in said disk-like end portion of the drive shaft and connecting said collar with said crank arms.

JAMES RILEY BD. DEWEY PEPETIA SAUCIER. 

